As a sports car, the Cayman S could care less about access and storage. Therefore, you have to be careful when sitting behind the wheel because the seat cushion is very low; tall individuals will find the experience less enjoyable. As for your luggage, only bring basic stuff. There's just enough storage room available for your toothbrush and your wife's bikini -- I'm barely exaggerating. The compartments inside are not really convenient.

The 295-horsepower flat-six boxer engine allows you to sprint from 0 to 100 kph in 5.1 seconds.

You know you're in a driver's car when you take place in the low, heavily bolstered seat, which offers a natural riding position. Of course, the ride is just as firm as one might expect.

Plenty of juice
Being a Porsche, the Cayman S delivers the kind of performance we used to associate with Hot Wheels cars when we were young. The 295-horsepower flat-six boxer engine allows you to sprint from 0 to 100 kph in 5.1 seconds, meaning fun is always a quick dip of the throttle away. The engine's operation is simply wonderful, especially with the superb transmission and the precise, linear steering. Handling is sensational, the car literally sticking to the pavement -- perfect for high-speed performance enthusiasts.

Obviously, one of the key attributes of the Cayman S is its ability to be driven aggressively, but the rear three-quarter blind spots are quite large. Due to the body configuration, visibility isn't particularly great. What's more, the outside mirrors are very small, although that's understandable considering how aerodynamic engineers wanted to make the car. The all-important brakes are ideally suited for a machine like this one.

Competition
The competition is very fierce, but not as much as the Porsche Cayman S, which is the incarnation of the midsize sports car. In this segment, styling is fundamental. The Audi TT 3.2 ($59,600) and Mercedes-Benz SLK350 ($67,000) are both very beautiful, but their performance is not on par with the Cayman's. The aging Nissan 350Z ($49,948) is no longer the wild card it used to be, while the BMW M Coupe ($63,900) is more than oddly styled. The Cayman S offers the best attributes from all these cars and then adds some of its own, making for the ultimate package.

In S trim (as tested), the car makes no compromises.